Message To Your Heart
by Adia Rose
Summary: Ronnie and Danielle. A one-shot. A belated Valentines gift to all my amazing reviewers. Especially YorkshireGal.


A/N --- This is a little one-shot that I wrote for valentines day. It was meant to go out on the 14th but what was meant to be a short 1000/2000 word fic turned into a bit of an epic!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this. Please, please let me know what you think. And Truth is busy having another chapter written which I will try to post asap.

Enjoy...and please leave feedback.

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**February 14th 2010  
**

"Are you coming or not? I have places I could be you know!" Ronnie sat on the arm of the sofa in her flat, looking at her watch and tapping her foot impatiently as she jokingly scorned the slow pace of the morning. Despite her annoyance she was still smiling, the anticipation of the day making her stomach flutter.

"Yeah, ok, I'm almost ready," came the agitated reply from the bathroom, "and no you don't." Ronnie couldn't help but smile even as she rolled her eyes at her daughter's lack of urgency. Ronnie looked once again at the picture and address in her hand, feeling her fingers shake slightly as they gripped the scrap of paper. Almost a year had passed since she and her baby had been reunited and it couldn't be denied that the road since had been bumpy. 

_17th July 2009_

"_Danielle!" Ronnie shouted as she ran through the streets after her daughter. "Danielle where are you going?!"_

"_Away from you!" Danielle screeched back, not bothering to slow her pace or even look back at her mother. Her feet pounded angrily on the pavement as she heaved her bag more firmly over her shoulder._

"_You can't do that to me! You can't leave." Ronnie screamed out at Danielle's back, her own body running to catch up with her child. "I didn't mean it. I didn't." She begged as her hand reached out to grab Danielle's shoulder. "Please, you have to believe me."_

"_Why the hell should I?" Danielle span around to face her mother when it became apparent that Ronnie had no intention of loosening her grip. "Ronnie Mitchell, ice-queen, walking around like she owns the Square. Not caring about anyone. Crushing anyone who gets in her way. You never change do you. I thought you were different now, I thought you and me were..." Danielle paused and shook her head, "but I guess I got it wrong didn't I?" Danielle promptly shook off Ronnie's hand harshly and turned away, walking as quickly as she could, eager to put space between herself and her mother._

"_No!" Ronnie shouted out to her retreating back. "You do not get to walk away from me. I'm your mother." _

"_No." Danielle shouted back. "I DO get to walk away from you. Just like you did to me. I'm going to stay with my Dad, you stay away from me." They were mere inches from one another as Danielle shouted angrily to Ronnie's face. _

"_But...you'll come back? You have to. You can't leave me." Danielle had been wrong, Ronnie was different. In the four months that they had been together, Danielle had been engraved deeply onto Ronnie's heart and life, Ronnie's entire world was her little girl. Ronnie's lip trembled as she felt tears burning into her eyes. Danielle sighed. Somehow, no matter what Ronnie did, she could never stay angry at her, she could never bring herself to hate the woman, no matter how many people told her that, that very feeling was her right._

"_Look, I need some space. Just sort this out. What you did was horrible. Show me you can make it better and I'll come back soon ok? I just want some space and yeah, I'm angry at you. But I can't leave you...I couldn't." Danielle looked into Ronnie's eyes, her face serious. "But that doesn't mean that I like you right now." _

"Right, I'm ready." Danielle announced, walking into the living room to see Ronnie staring into space, deep in thought. She skipped over and waved her hand in front of Ronnie's face.

"Ronnie? Hello? I'm ready. We can go," she sang out as she watched her mother snap into awareness. Suddenly the hand she had been waving was trapped in the firm grip of her mother as Ronnie pulled Danielle into a tight hug, her body almost completely on Ronnie's lap. Danielle simply laughed, hugging her mother back in equal measure, her head rested on her shoulder, letting Ronnie take all the comfort that she needed.

Both women were used to these strange moments, the moments where they just needed to feel that it was all real, when they needed to just hold and be held, to have nothing more than the comfort of the other.

_October 20th 2009_

_Danielle awoke suddenly, her entire body trembling. She raised a shaking hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead. She raised her knees to her chest, tears immediately springing forth, she buried her head in her knees, wrapping her arms around herself. _

_Gareth's wedding had been just over a week ago now. It should have been a happy event, and it was. Andy had been bustling around, enjoying having his family back around him, relishing being able to be so important. Even Ronnie had come up for a few days and to Danielle's immense humiliation, her mother and brother had formed an instant friendship, centred mostly around anecdotes of her childhood, the embarrassing ones being Gareth's speciality. It had been nice though, Ronnie had fit in so well, so easily. She and Gareth would be chatting and laughing over coffees in the lounge whilst she helped her dad in the kitchen._

_But there was something about the wedding that had brought everything back for Danielle. As she'd sat there at the top table, lifting her champagne glass to her lips after a toast the memory hit her. And the pain hadn't left. A necklace in a glass, hatred, rejection. All of the past that she had had with Ronnie seemed to be dredged up by this one event._

_It had been a strange atmosphere to begin with. Something that everybody felt but was rarely mentioned. Here was Ronnie, popping in and out in the days before the wedding, Danielle's mother and comfortably a friend, of sorts, to the family. But she was there, and it just made the absence of Lizzie all that more apparent._

_So once again Danielle had awoken from the same nightmare. The one that had haunted her nightly since the wedding. Ronnie and Lizzie at opposite sides of the reception, both there, and she had to choose, had to choose between them as they both began fading away. She had to choose fast, she was loosing them both. In tears on the floor she begged them both to stay but it made no difference, it never did. Then just as she tried to run, who to she did not know, they would both stare at her, their eyes so full of hate, and both would reject her on the spot, screaming into her face that she was a disappointment. Ronnie screaming that she would never want a daughter like her and Lizzie shouting that she could never love a child that would replace her, that wasn't even ever hers._

_And that's when Danielle would wake, the voices still echoing their cruel words through her mind. She wiped her eyes, trying desperately to stop the tears but to no avail. Every night she had seen the same image, heard the same words and woken in the same pain and guilt. She'd never spoken about it, though she was sure that Ronnie had noticed the dark circles under her eyes, her reluctance to retire in the evenings. She looked towards the door, half hoping to see a light creeping from beneath it, hoping that Ronnie may still be awake. But the flat was dark and silent. Glancing at the clock Danielle sighed through the heavy fall of tears. It was almost three in the morning. And she was alone. _

_Seconds ticked past and still Danielle couldn't shake the look of hatred from Ronnie's face from her mind, the disappointment on Lizzie's. She could feel herself trembling still as she tried to catch her breath. She swung her feet from her bed without conscious thought and padded across the carpet to her door. It creaked slightly as she opened it and crept along the hall, switching on the light to guide her way. Her sobs seemed amplified in the silence as she approached Ronnie's room but she couldn't hold them back. Opening Ronnie's door she tried to hold her breath, smothering her sobs with a tremulous hand. She stood in the open doorway, unable to force her feet to move any further. She chewed on her nails as the tears continued to trickle down her cheeks._

_Ronnie woke gently, her mind fuzzy as she opened her eyes, feeling the presence of somebody else in the room. She squinted at the harsh light coming from the open door, seeing the dark silhouette of her daughter shivering in the hallway, not breaching the threshold. She sat up, bracing her arms behind her, trying to shake the sleep from herself._

"_Danielle?" Ronnie croaked hoarsely, her face creased as she tried to adjust her eyes to the light. Danielle couldn't hold back the guttural sob that broke forth at her mother's voice, even as croaky and confused as it was. Ronnie sat bolt upright as she heard her daughter's pain as she cried. "Baby, what's happened? Dani?" Danielle fell apart as she heard the loving tone, everything she had wanted and reminding her just how much she had to lose. "Sweetie what's wrong? Come here," Ronnie whispered, lifting back the duvet to try and persuade Danielle to approach her._

_Wordlessly Danielle walked towards the bed, kneeling onto it and letting Ronnie move to meet her, enveloping her daughter in her arms and curling them both down together. Danielle buried her head into Ronnie's chest as she let Ronnie stroke her head and quietly shush her._

"_Oh my baby. It's ok. It'll be ok, I promise. Shh, sweetie. I love you so much. Shhh...you're safe, I'm here baby." Ronnie whispered the words softly into Danielle's hair as she placed delicate kisses upon her head, her arms wrapped tightly around her baby, cradling her through her tears and rocking her gently until sleep claimed her exhausted body. She didn't ask what had happened, what was wrong. They would discuss it in time. For that night, she was simply there to protect her child and kiss away the pain, holding her close as only a mother could._

"Got the address?" Danielle asked as Ronnie shut the flat door behind them. Ronnie laughed as she bounced down the steps and threw her arm around Danielle.

"Of course I have. Are you scared?" Ronnie asked, raising her eyebrow at her daughter as they walked to the tube station. She pulled Danielle in towards her, squeezing her briefly as they walked together in step, Ronnie's arm casually around Danielle's shoulders.

"No," Danielle fibbed, her shy smirk giving her away and making Ronnie laugh out. "Ok, a bit...maybe," she admitted as they rounded the corner to the bus stop. "But it's a whole new part of our life." She looked away, hiding her smile as Ronnie beamed at her grinning. Ronnie couldn't stop the "awww" that broke through when Danielle had referred to their lives as one.

Stepping onto the bus the women began an instant stream of chatter, happily discussing Roxy's latest indiscretion with the lovely doctor. The vehicle was packed and Ronnie and Danielle stood holding on to the pole as it juddered into motion.

"God, poor Aunty Peg." Ronnie chuckled as she relayed the tale of Roxy's public displays, of somewhat more than affection, to her daughter. "Nobody needs to see that first thing in the morning...or any time." Danielle laughed, she had already heard the gossip, in fact Roxy herself had told Danielle the gruesome details, more so than Ronnie. Despite their close relationship, being close to best friends as well as mother and daughter, there were some conversations that they had yet to breach, sex, even that of somebody else, was one of them. Both women were happy to pretend that the other had never and would never do such a thing, despite any evidence to the contrary.

The bus stopped and another crowd of people jostled on, a fairly plump woman bashing into Danielle as she squashed onto the aisle, she audaciously gave Danielle a look of disdain from over her shoulder. Ronnie's eyes immediately narrowed as Danielle fell into her, Ronnie's supporting arms the only thing stopping her from tumbling to the floor.

"Leave it," Danielle spoke softly but firmly to Ronnie who was shooting daggers at the woman now stood reading a book, hanging on to the bar above her with a free hand. "It's fine really." Ronnie's mouth had been about to open as her anger flared but she felt Danielle's hand clasp around hers and she averted her eyes from the object of her fury and turned them on her daughter who was looking softly at her with wide eyes, calming her. Ronnie ran her hand through Danielle's hair, releasing a sigh as she cupped her daughter's cheek. Ronnie was over protective, they both knew it. Since the second Ronnie had discovered the truth, she had wanted to wrap up Danielle in cotton wool and keep her away from any pain. Nothing had changed in the months that had passed, Danielle was Ronnie's baby and she would give her life to stop Danielle from having to feel an ounce of pain.

_December 22nd 2009_

_The party was in full flow at R&R's, it was truly Christmas already in the club as Ronnie rushed about behind the bar, rolling her eyes at the other staff in their almost indecent Christmas outfits that had certainly been Jack's idea. She paused as she handed pack a fistful of change to a customer to scan the club for Danielle. Her heart stopped as she failed to locate her through the crowds. She felt her breath hitch and it was only released when she clapped eyes on the blonde hair of her daughter as she sat primly on one of the sofa's laughing heartily, if a little drunkenly along with Roxy and Stacey. She smiled as their eyes met across the club, she was so proud of her daughter. And this was it, almost their first Christmas together as mother and daughter._

_Danielle held up a drink and beckoned to Ronnie, her eyebrows raised in question, silently asking Ronnie if she was free to join them for a drink yet. As she saw Ronnie sadly shaking her head, indicating to the crowds of punters clamoring at the bar she gave a childish pout back, sticking out her bottom lip at her mother. Ronnie rolled her eyes smiling before mouthing 'sorry' and blowing a kiss to her daughter who merely downed another shot that was being held to her lips by Roxy._

_The night banged on, the music thumping as the club seemed to get more and more busy. By one in the morning Ronnie was rushing madly around behind the bar, barely having time to brush her hair roughly from her forehead as she served drink after drink to the inebriated club-goers._

"_Oi, Ron!" Ronnie turned as her sister's voice struck through her. "Give us another five yeah? Tequila."_

"_Five?" Ronnie asked confused as she began to line up the shots in front of Roxy who was busy pulling her top lower down her cleavage, revealing strips of lace from her bra below._

"_Yeah, got some lads over there." Roxy grinned as she swayed slightly. Ronnie glared at her, if Roxy was already this drunk she dreaded what sort of state Danielle would be in. "Bit young for me and Stace is all loved up with Bradley. But they're a laugh." Roxy pulled the drinks towards her not bothering to even make an excuse for not paying Ronnie. "And think Dan's in with one of them."_

_Ronnie only just caught Roxy's last words as Roxy tottered away spilling half of the shots as she made her way back to the table. "Danielle's what?!" Ronnie glared after her. She was already out of ear shot. Ronnie craned her neck to see her daughter, she was confronted with the view of her daughter giggling coyly as some man whispered into her ear, his hand lingering on her thigh. Ronnie slammed the drink she was holding down on the bar, spilling the contents and almost shattering the glass in the process. She didn't like what she saw. Danielle was clearly drunk. She wouldn't mind Danielle dating or having boyfriends, no, of course she wouldn't. She tried to convince herself. But no matter how much she wanted to keep Danielle all to herself, still as her baby she knew she could, or would have to accept men into Danielle's life. But this was different. Danielle had been drinking all evening and by the way she was swaying on her seat, she had passed her limit a long time ago. And here was some man touching her. But she looked so happy. Ronnie screwed her eyes shut raising her hand to her temple, she was getting a migraine._

_Danielle laughed as she stumbled up to the bar, Rob's arms wrapped around her waist and holding her up. She almost tripped as she reached the bar, her body falling onto it as she fell into rapturous giggles. She heard Rob whisper a clumsy "oops" into her ear as they both laughed._

"_Ronnie?" Danielle sang out as she tried to spot her mother across the bar, "Ronnieeeee!" She simply fell into more laughter at her own words as she failed to find Ronnie and promptly gave up, instead choosing to order herself and Rob another drink. She looked to him expectantly as it came time to pay._

"_Oh alright, but you owe me," he winked, handing over a note to the woman behind the bar. Danielle grinned at him, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek, he responded, moving his lips to meet Danielle's. They stood, Danielle's one hand still on her drink as Rob pushed her up against the bar, his hands moving to cup her rear as they embraced. Danielle smiled widely as they parted and let Rob lift the drink to her mouth. She downed the shot, feeling her head already light, spin slightly. She wrapped her arms back around Rob's back as he led her across the club._

"_Ha, your little girl takes after me alright." roxy announced proudly as she threw herself behind the bar, launching her arm around Ronnie's neck. "You sure she's yours not mine?"_

"_What?" Ronnie asked flustered, "What are you on about?" Ronnie had only just returned to the bar after an angry exchange with Jack in the office about the staffing. This was a Christmas party, one that she had intended to spend with her daughter but Jack had taken it upon himself to let go of one of their bar tenders just earlier that very day, leaving them severely short staffed and ruining Ronnie's night._

"_Yeah, she's gone and copped off with some bloke. He's fit too. I'd have him if he wasn't all over her." Roxy busied herself adjusting Ronnie's top, trying to make her sister's cleavage more visible even as Ronnie tried to slap her hands away._

"_Where is she? Does she know this guy? What's he like?" Ronnie asked, firing her questions to her drunken sister._

"_I don't know!" Roxy shrugged. "He's just some guy buying her drinks." Roxy groaned, "oh, loosen up frosty pants. Just because you aren't getting any."_

"_Excuse me?!" Ronnie snapped, throwing Roxy's arm off her. "Getting any? Danielle's drunk! She's completely off her face. She's not..." Ronnie put her hand to her head, trying to stave of the headache throbbing through her and desperately attempting not to panic at the thought of her daughter being drunk and taken off by some strange man. "Where is she Rox?"_

"_Mmm...that way?" Roxy said absently, pointing towards the door with one hand as she poured herself a drink with the other, "I think." She added as Ronnie stormed off towards the exit, her eyes scanning every corner, every body as she passed them._

_Danielle rubbed her knees as she sat herself back, brushing the grit off them, she didn't feel the sting even as her fingers brushed over the grazes made by her fall. _

"_Ouch." She said aloud to herself as she looked at the sore scrapes. "Ow," she continued drunkenly not even attempting to stand back up as she sat on the pavement, her dress ridden up around her thighs._

"_You alright? Come on, I bet I can make you feel better." Rob said as he extended his hand out to her. "You look a bit of a mess. How about a shower? Together?" He pulled Danielle to her feet, holding her up with his arms around her waist, his breath hot on her neck as he kissed along her jawline down to her collar bone between his words._

"_Wanna go bed." Danielle slurred as she felt herself sway in his arms, but nonetheless she held his head to her neck, her other arm tight around his back, enjoying feeling wanted, desired._

"_Mmm, I'm sure we can arrange that," Rob chuckled breathily as he slid his hands up Danielle's thighs to her hips, one hand lingering on her upper thigh. Danielle closed her eyes feeling a bit sick but she couldn't help but smile at his words._

"_Yeah?" She asked suggestively, "Not what I meant." Danielle moved her hands more tightly around Rob tilting her head to meet his mouth. "Should go home," she managed to mumble out between kisses._

"_I'd rather take you back to mine."_

_Ronnie stepped out of the club, frenetically scanning the streets for any sign of her daughter. She reached to pull her phone out of her pocket when she heard Danielle's laugh. A noise she had memorised and engraved into her mind months ago. She walked towards the sound, finally clapping eyes upon her daughter along the next road. Danielle was sat on a wall, some man stood between her knees. Ronnie was immediately drawn to the sight of blood on her daughter's knees, her dress crumpled up, now barely covering her backside. Fury boiled and burned within Ronnie and she marched over to the pair, watching as Danielle began to slip backwards, the man grasping her arms to pull her back upright. _

_As Ronnie reached the young couple she wasted no time, pulling the man's arm sideways, away from her daughter so that she was face to face with him. She glared into his eyes for only a second before her fist flew out, impacting violently with his jaw. She watched him stumble backward, glancing quickly at her Danielle who looked a little shocked and bemused by the ordeal. Ronnie turned straight back to the man as he righted himself and began to ask what was going on. But Ronnie cut him off before he could even get a sentence out._

"_What have you done to her?" Ronnie screamed out. _

"_What? Nothing." Rob called back, his jaw aching. _

"_Then what's this?" Ronnie demanded, lifting Danielle's knee a little rougher than she meant to, almost causing Danielle to topple backwards._

"_Ronnie what are you doin'?" Danielle slurred embarrassedly, looking at her mother in bewilderment._

"_Nothing." Rob defended himself, "She fell. That's all." Ronnie scowled at him sceptically. She ignored Danielle's continuing words of protest as she carried on her tirade at the man 'assaulting' her daughter._

"_I should call the police, you sick creep!" She shouted into his face._

"_Ronnie!" Danielle cried out, mortified even through her drunken state and annoyed to have been interrupted by her mother in such a situation. Ronnie ignored her interjections._

"_You're barred from the club. Don't even think about coming back. You stay the hell away from my daughter." Danielle watched as Rob walked away calling back that they were mad and he wouldn't come back even if they paid him._

"_What d'ya do that for?!" Danielle shrieked as Ronnie turned towards her._

"_He was taking advantage. You're drunk. He was going to...he was..." Ronnie couldn't finish her sentence, floundering as she was in her anger and panic, trying to protect her baby. "You're drunk." She finished stupidly._

"_I was having fun." Danielle whined, "Why d'you get rid of him?" Danielle pouted and looked around the street. "I'm going after him." She stood, wobbling on her heels as she did. She began to take a step forward and stumbled into the lamp post beside her, giggling as she did, patting the post fondly as she tried to move past it._

"_Oh no you're not!" Ronnie exclaimed. She pulled Danielle to her, putting her arm around her shoulder and trying to lead her along, "You're coming home and I'm putting you to bed."_

"_No." Danielle grumbled as she tried to shake off Ronnie's grip, wandering in the opposite direction, zig-zagging along the road. "I'm going with Ben...Bob...Ron..." Danielle's face scrunched up as she staggered along the road, trying to remember the name of the man she was planning to find. She pointed towards his retreating back, "Him." she pronounced definitely._

"_Danielle. You are not going with him." Ronnie shouted, grabbing Danielle around the middle. "Don't even think about it, you're drunk and I'm not letting him use you."_

"_Ronnie!" Danielle whined again, sounding like a petulant child. "Ronnieee, get off...get off." She screeched, wriggling in her mother's grasp. "I want to have fun. It's not fair. Get off. I'm going to his."_

"_Oh for god's sake." Ronnie muttered. "Right, that's it." she grabbed Danielle tightly around the waist and lifted her off the ground, hoisting her roughly onto her shoulder. Danielle yelped and pounded her fists onto Ronnie's back, her head hanging upside down and making her feel nauseated and dizzy._

"_What are you doing?!" Danielle shouted as Ronnie began to carry her across the road, making her way back to the flat. "Ronnie get off! Put me down!" Ronnie strode purposefully back home with her daughter over her shoulder protesting the entire way._

"And left here...I think." Danielle said, squinting at the map on the phone that Ronnie had bought her. She tilted the phone from side to side trying to decipher which way she was looking. Ronnie looked around the streets, the houses lined neatly with their tiny front drives or gardens, trees lining the pavements. It seemed quiet.

"Yeah...left...that's the road isn't it?" Danielle asked, pointing aimlessly without looking up from her phone.

"That's the one." Ronnie said, checking the piece of paper once again. "Number twenty four." She looked over to Danielle who was looking back at her nervously, chewing on her bottom lip. Ronnie held out her hand with a smile and Danielle instantly took it, her fingers curling perfectly around Ronnie's. They began to walk but only got a few steps before Danielle stopped, her eyes set behind them. "What's wrong sweetie?"

"I can see the Vic," Danielle stated in exasperation. "We could have walked. Look." She pointed a little way down the hill, across the allotments where Albert Square could be clearly seen. Ronnie laughed as she watched Danielle shake her head, before turning back towards their goal.

"You really think this it is Ronnie?" Danielle asked as they got closer to the house, the numbers rising steadily as they walked down the leafy avenue. Ronnie shot her a questioning look, wondering what she meant. "Are you really sure that you want to do this? That you want me to...are you sure?" The nerves were back as Danielle stared at the pavement, her eyes trailing the curb and each crack along the tarmac as she avoided looking at Ronnie. Still after so long she feared rejection, not as constantly or overwhelmingly as she once had but it was still there in these delicate situations, still in the back of her mind, waiting. Ronnie turned herself to face Danielle full on and saw her daughter unable to look her in the eye. She reached out her fingers to lift her chin, Danielle's eyes still not meeting hers.

"Dani, you are my everything. You're my whole world. I love you." Ronnie watched as Danielle shot her furtive glances. She let her lips quirk upwards, "It's you and me. Always."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean..." Danielle muttered weakly, her face beginning to look distressed. Ronnie interrupted her almost at once.

"Enough of that young lady," she joked, watching Danielle smile, but the nerves didn't seem to abate. "Hey, stop it you. Stop worrying." Danielle sighed heavily, looking at the floor once again. Ronnie swept her fringe out of her face, wanting to just wipe the frown and worry from her child's face. She reached out to Danielle, brushing her hair out of her eyes and letting her fingers run through it, curling blonde strands around her fingertips. "This is meant to be a good thing. It's perfect, you're perfect." Ronnie cupped Danielle's cheek in her palm. "My perfect baby girl."

Danielle braved her mother's eyes, looking up into them and she launched herself into her arms. Ronnie stumbled back a little as she took on the unexpected weight of her daughter. She felt Danielle burying her head into her neck, breathing her in as her daughter felt wanted once again.

"Come on then, let's go." Danielle beamed as she bounced on the spot, releasing herself from Ronnie's embrace. "Come on." She repeated, grasping Ronnie's hand and pulling her along in her wake as she bounded down the road. Ronnie chuckled as Danielle seemed to skip along, only skidding to a halt when they reached the house. They shared a significant look before walking hand in hand to the door.

Looking up at the building, it was quiet and unimposing, a mid terraced house with coloured glass in the door and a small porch with flowers potted beside it. Ronnie squeezed Danielle's hand as they opened the garden gate and were greeted by a young suited man fidgeting on the doorstep.

"Miss Mitchell?" The man asked, extending his hand. This was it.

Ronnie and Danielle stood in the lounge of the house, they'd been given the tour, it was right, it felt like home, it felt like theirs.

"So fourteen time the charm then?" Ronnie said sarcastically, her eyebrows up in her hairline as she watched her daughter wander the perimetre of the room. Danielle hummed a small affirmation. "Dani," Ronnie called out, demanding her daughter's attention. She watched as she finally caught it. "Are you sure? This is it? This is home?" She asked. Danielle nodded with a grin.

"It's just right." She fawned, gazing around the room. "There's even space for Amy to play and we could even get a cat?" Danielle's voice lilted hopefully. Ronnie burst out laughing. She walked to Danielle, placing an arm around her shoulder.

"So this is it, our new home." Ronnie beamed as she stood surveying the room with her daughter. "And we'll see about the cat." She mumbled from the corner or her mouth. Danielle's head flicked suddenly towards her and Ronnie purposely looked away, obviously feigning innocence and ignorance of the comment she had just made. "Tell you what, go and take another look around, start making ideas while I make a few calls."

Danielle stood in the doorway of the second bedroom, the room that would hopefully become hers. It was a bright room, overlooking their own small garden, with a view of the allotments down the hill. It was warm and just big enough for what Danielle would want, she began to plan what she would have in the room, the colours she would theme her room. She soon wandered to the next room, the one that would be Ronnie's, right next door to her own. She aimlessly moved back out onto the landing, leaning on the banister and listening to Ronnie talking away on her mobile in the lounge downstairs. There were three bedrooms in the house, one already reserved as a spare room cum office and study. The downstairs was perfect for the two of them, a small open plan kitchen and dining room with a conservatory at the back and a comfortable lounge in the front of the house. It was maybe a bit big but they'd have Roxy and Amy staying from time to time and Stacey too. Even Danielle's new friends from work and her course. It felt like a real family home, not just a flat that they happened to live in.

Danielle was already in the conservatory before she really registered moving. She looked out onto the garden.

"So, you two are putting an offer in then." The estate agent was stood behind Danielle, his hands in his pockets as he bounced on his heels. Danielle span around at the intrusion.

"Uh, yeah." She said dumbly, not knowing what to say. The man was probably barely older than herself and seemed in himself a little nervous. "It's nice, I just hope we get it." Danielle said meekly, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "But Ronnie's sorting all that really," she finished awkwardly.

"Good," the man grinned and spoke conspiratorially, leaning in towards her. Danielle leant back a little, wondering what he was talking about. The man seemed to notice this instantly and mentally kicked himself. "I mean...this is my first show, and I'm on commission...and...yeah." The man fizzled out as his sentence got away from him. Danielle couldn't hold back the smirk.

"Oh, well we really like it, so hopefully you've made your first sale," Danielle babbled, "Me and Ronnie, it's just perfect for us and it's really close to my aunt, Ronnie's sister that is and my little cousin and my friends and my job and Ronnie's work too. And we're closer to my college here. It's nice to be somewhere a bit quieter too, and away from all the gossipers and everything." Danielle happily blathered on as the man listened, watching her dreamy eyes as she began to speak of her plans for the house.

"Sounds like you've got everything planned out." He joked, "So Ronnie was it? She's your?" Danielle's eyebrows creased as she wondered why this man was asking, but she readily offered up the information. "Oh, good." He smiled. Danielle looked at him confused once again. "Oh, just I thought maybe you and her were...uh, but I'm uh...glad you're not." Danielle watched his cheeks flush. She could feel herself blushing too as she realised where this conversation was going. "I'm David by the way." He offered.

"Danielle." She replied, shuffling slightly with her nerves and praying that Ronnie was still busy on the phone.

"So, Danielle, uh. Maybe I could take you out to dinner, or drinks, to uh...celebrate. You know, my first sale, your new house?" Danielle could feel her face going even more red and she bit her lip through her smile. Her stomach was flipping.

"Yeah, yeah I'd like that." She exclaimed.

Ronnie walked into the conservatory to see the estate agent giving a card to Danielle, his phone out as they comfortably chatted. Ronnie squinted at the pair suspiciously.

"Dani," she called out, alerting the pair to her presence. She watched as the young man almost leapt out of his skin, hurriedly looking at the floor and scratching his ear nervously. She made her way over to Danielle, throwing a protective arm around her shoulders. "It's all set sweetie, we've put the offer in and we should hear back tomorrow." She turned to the young estate agent. "That's right isn't it? You phoned the offer through."

Ronnie took great pleasure in watching David stutter through the rest of the meeting and she stood outside the front gate, making a great show of admiring the wall across the road as the young couple made their awkward goodbyes with promises of calls, texts and dates to come.

Walking home, back to Albert Square, Danielle was in full flow of chatter, Ronnie barely being able to get a word in edgeways. She couldn't tell if Danielle was just excited or if she was trying to cover the obvious little romance that had been blossoming. Ronnie had a feeling that it was a mixture of the two and so she eagerly listened to her daughter's happy babbling, enjoying sharing this moment with her. Their first house. Another start, another new chapter of their lives together. Ronnie couldn't believe how much her life had changed in just one short year. Her whole world had been turned upside down in the most amazing and magical way.

_November 17th 2009_

"_Happy Birthday, dear Amy, Happy Birthday to you!" The small group sang out the words as Amy sat bemused on Roxy's knee. Everybody clapped as Roxy leaned forwards to blow out the candles, trying to cajole Amy into helping._

_Ronnie and Danielle sat together on the floor, Danielle happily between Ronnie's legs, her elbows resting on Ronnie's raised knees, with Ronnie's arms wrapped around her, and Ronnie's head on her shoulder as they watched Roxy celebrate Amy's very first birthday. Their very postures and positions screamed how much they had changed in the last months. Ronnie, who had always been so cold, so closed and untouchable was relaxed, lounging back, her body never losing contact with her daughter even as she sprawled comfortably across the floor, unphased and even unnoticing of how others may think of her. There was no front anymore, there was no longer a shield. Now there was just the heart of Ronnie, the real Ronnie, laid bare and held by the little girl in her arms. Danielle also wasn't sat primly in the corner, hoping to be let in. She wasn't holding back anxiously, afraid to even exist in the presence of her family. Instead she was contentedly wrapped up within them, in the centre, involved completely and bathed in love._

"_Presents!" Roxy shouted making Amy jump and Danielle laugh as Ronnie merely rolled her eyes. "You want presents Amy?" The child was bounced on Roxy's knee in an attempt to stop her wriggling as she tried to get up and explore, her beady little eyes set on Danielle's bracelets which Ronnie was twirling. She let out a deep little chuckle as Roxy bounced her up and down. "Let's start with old auntie Ronnie. Yes. Let's see what auntie Ronnie got you yeah?"_

_Roxy was in her element as she grabbed the large gift from in front of her, almost managing to knock it into Amy's head as she began to shake it._

"_Hey, that's for Amy, not you!" Ronnie admonished gently, making faces at Amy as she said it._

"_Yeah, yeah, it'd just better be good. Hadn't it Amy." Roxy spoke cheekily to her sister. She placed the gift in front of Amy, helping the toddler to rip off the wrapping, revealing a carefully folded red dress, a tiny pair of patent leather shoes. Danielle looked over her shoulder to meet Ronnie's eyes as Amy's sticky little mitts reached out for the shiny shoes which once in hand made a beeline for her mouth._

"_These are gorgeous Ron." Roxy was admiring the garments, lost in her own world of presents. Ronnie and Danielle shared a smile before turning back to Roxy who was ruffling through the now empty wrapping paper. She looked somewhat cheated. "Is that it?" She voiced rudely, forcing Ronnie's eyebrows to raise into her hairline._

"_Thanks Rox, nice to know you appreciate them." Ronnie bit sarcastically as Roxy had the good grace to look sheepish. Ronnie sighed, blowing her fringe from her eyes as she looked again at Amy who was busy playing peek-a-boo with Danielle from behind her shoe across the room. "And actually, that one's from me too." She said smugly, enjoying her victory as she pointed across the room to a huge box across the room, elegantly wrapped, courtesy of Danielle._

"_Aw cheers Ron," Roxy burst, forgetting any comments that had gone before as she lifted Amy from her knee and handed her to Danielle as she dragged the box over to the middle of the room. Slowly the package was unwrapped, Amy crawling around, helping as much as she could by stealing the discarded shreds of paper and secreting them down Ronnie's top._

"_This is amazing." Roxy said as she admired the little ride on car. "She'll love it Ron." Roxy sat poking different buttons, twisting dials and flipping switches on the plastic dashboard. At the intriguing beeps and clicks from the car, Amy flopped herself off Danielle's leg where she had been climbing, trying to poke her fingers into Ronnie and Danielle's mouths._

_The women relaxed back, glasses of wine in each of their hands as they wound down after the party, Amy sat contentedly on Danielle's knee, letting Danielle quietly read to her. Ronnie laid back on the sofa where she was lounging, her legs beneath Danielle's as she took up the entire seat._

"_Da." Amy piped up, turning to face her cousin. Danielle melted instantly as she heard Amy say her name for the first time._

"_That's right Amy. That's Dani, your cousin Dani." Ronnie said, joining the simple conversation as she watched Danielle's eyes lit up with pride. "She's _my_ baby. Yes she is." Ronnie cooed, sitting up to lean over her little niece who looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes. "You're mummy's baby and Dani's, auntie Ronnie's baby, see." Ronnie opened her locket, holding it out to the toddler who grasped it readily, pulling on the delicate trinket._

"_She knows all that Ron," Roxy mocked, "she knew before you did." Roxy and Ronnie made faces at each other briefly before Roxy took another deep gulp of her wine. "Plus, Aims is a genius ain't you babes?" Roxy made squinty smiles to her daughter, "she knows who Dan is." Roxy rolled her eyes, shaking her head conspiratorially with Amy. She seemed to freeze suddenly before swirling jerkily towards Danielle. "Actually...where's _your_ present?!" Roxy demanded, accusingly of her niece._

"_Roxy!" Ronnie snapped, shocked at her sister's demands, though why it would be any sort of surprise, she didn't know._

"_What?" Roxy defended childishly. "It's a birthday party. You bring presents. Aims wants her present from her cousin." _

"_Sorry Roxy," Danielle muttered sheepishly. "I just didn't want to give it with, you know, everyone else..." she trailed off as she hung her head, her hand instinctively clutching her locket as she felt stupid for her anxieties._

"_Well come on then madam. Cough it up." Roxy laughed, making sure to brush over Danielle's awkwardness. It had taken time but she knew her niece well and even her faults were entrenched in love from both her and Ronnie. The little quirks that had taken Roxy so long to learn about her niece were by now fair game for teasing and entirely endearing. They had a close bond, Roxy had taken a while to accept her new role as an aunt but she grew to relish it. She loved the nights when she could go out with her sister and niece and teach Danielle all of the bad habits that Ronnie tried to protect her from._

"_Right," Danielle smiled as Roxy tapped her fingernails in feigned impatience. She lifted Amy from her lap and struggled over Ronnie's legs off the sofa. "Come on then Amy. Do you want your birthday present?" Danielle asked in a sing-song voice as she placed her cousin's feet firmly on the floor, holding up her hands to help her walk along._

_Ronnie and Roxy waited expectantly before Danielle came back into the room, holding up Amy, who was toddling beside her, with one hand. Roxy held out her hands, cheekily snatching the present off Danielle as she held it out. She went to work at once, tearing off the paper with Amy plonked on the floor beside her, doing her best to keep up. Danielle sat down next to Ronnie, curling herself into her mother's arms as she waited and watched nervously for the reaction that her gift would receive._

"_Dan this is gorgeous." Roxy breathed out as she admired the dark wooden box and it's ornate carvings and delicate hand painting. The word 'Amy' was engraved in silver on the top, surrounded by softly painted flowers and vines. Danielle worried her lip as her nails picked at the hem of her dress. Roxy opened the box carefully and a soft tune tinkled out into the room. "This must have cost you a fortune babe. It's beautiful." Roxy said as she read the note engraved in curved writing on the base._

_'To my beautiful cousin Amy, on your first birthday. With all of my love, Danielle.'_

_As the box was opened again and the gentle music played on, Ronnie's eyes welled up. The memory of Danielle's childhood that had been relayed to her played in her mind. Her baby had loved her music box, she had listened to it over and over. Ronnie's hand trembled as she sniffed and a tear rolled down her cheek. She felt eyes upon her as her sniffs destroyed the quiet._

"_My baby girl," Ronnie whispered, stroking Danielle's face reverently and not thinking to hide her tears. She pulled Danielle in to her, planting soft kisses along her cheekbone and onto her hair. "My beautiful baby girl."_

"_Aw Ron," Roxy sniffed, feeling herself well up as she watched Ronnie's open display of emotion. Her heart laid out on her sleeve and beating solely for her child._

"_You're here now mum." Danielle whispered back, making Ronnie heart melt all over again. For the first time, her baby really called her 'mum'._

"Eurgh, that's not fair." Danielle's voice broke through Ronnie's reverie, making her look up to locate the source of Danielle's annoyance. Over the road a couple in their mid twenties were walking hand in hand, gazing lovingly at each other every few steps as the girl clutched a bouquet of flowers almost as large as the sloppy grin on her face.

"Well, it's Valentines day today isn't it." Ronnie sighed, shrugging. In all honestly it bothered her very little to see loved up couples. Yes, she'd have liked a man in her life, she'd have loved one, but she was already complete with her little girl back in her life. She needed nothing more. "Best stay out of Roxy's room, or you might get a lot more than you bargained for."

"I hate Valentines," Danielle grumbled grumpily. Ronnie instantly smirked.

"Well...it's not as if you've had nothing today is it?" Ronnie's voice raised as she took pleasure in teasing her daughter. She took her hand as they crossed a busy road just down from the Square. Danielle's face instantly turned a rosy pink as she smiled to herself.

Letting themselves into the flat Danielle was still busy explaining away how David obviously wasn't really interested in her as Ronnie added small comments trying to make Danielle see the perfect, beautiful young woman that everybody else could.

"And anyway, he probably won't even call." Danielle finished, throwing her bag down onto the sofa and unbuttoning her coat.

"Baby...you need to see what I see," Ronnie said, walking up behind Danielle, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and planting a messy kiss on her cheek. "Any man would be so lucky to have you. Hmm...I just hope they don't take you away too soon." Ronnie breezed.

"Well they haven't yet." Danielle breathed back, letting her head rest backwards onto Ronnie's shoulder. "So how about a night in tonight? Anti-men. Just us." Danielle asked, bored and eager to spend a night in with just her mother and celebrate together their next step in their lives as mother and daughter.

"Not bored of me yet?" Ronnie questioned good humouredly, pressing her cheek against Danielle's. Ronnie couldn't stop the butterflies fluttering in her stomach even after so long by just being able to hold her little girl. Sometimes she couldn't believe that it was all real. Ronnie already began to plan the evening ahead even as Danielle tried to think up a witty response for her mother.

"Not quite yet." Danielle answered. "And it's a celebration isn't it? Our new house."

"I'll get some champagne from the club." Ronnie laughed, reluctantly uncurling her arms from around her daughter to shuck off her coat and move to the kitchen, flicking the kettle on and moving into the ever familiar routine of two cups, one sugar placed in each cup, she pottered around the kitchen as Danielle tidied up after her, like a carefully choreographed dance, the movements were well learned and habitual as they moved around each other seamlessly.

"Blue," Danielle proclaimed as she sat in her pyjamas, huddling the blanket further up her chest as she slumped in Ronnie's arms. "Or cream maybe." She stared off into space as she sipped champagne, taking a piece of chocolate from Ronnie's hand without needing to even look in her direction. "Something sophisticated, I don't mind really. Just as long as Roxy and Stace don't get involved, it should be ok."

"Mmm...don't fancy our lounge being filled with podiums and bottles lining the walls," Ronnie replied deadpan, handing another chocolate to her daughter before popping one in her own mouth. Danielle chuckled but shook her head in disapproval, though she didn't know whether Ronnie was insulting her best friend or her aunt. "We've come a long way haven't we?" Ronnie stated out of the blue as she looked at the pictures that filled every wall and surface of the flat. Pictures from Danielle's childhood that she had been given copies of as a gift and dozens of photographs of one or both of them from the last year. In pride of place on the main wall of the room hung a large photograph that Roxy had taken of them in the summer.

_August 8th 2009_

"_It's too hot." Roxy complained, lifting her top up as she lay on the picnic blanket, revealing her midriff to the summer heat._

"_Uh, do you want some sunscreen?" Danielle asked meekly. She was still shy of giving advice or acting as an equal to her aunt at times. Despite the months of family bonding that they had been through, sometimes their relationship still felt very new and Danielle was never entirely sure where she stood with Roxy. A friend and equal, like when they went out to R&R's together or joined together to tease Ronnie about any little mishap they could find, or young niece to be taken care of, like all of the times that Roxy had helped to advise her over the burgeoning mother, daughter relationship and how to understand the enigma of Ronnie Mitchell?_

"_No chance. I want a proper tan, me." Roxy voiced determinedly, pulling her top up even further, revealing the bottom of her bra. Danielle returned to rubbing sunscreen into her own arms as she turned to look at her mother who was pacing angrily in the shade of a tree near by, her phone glued to her ear and the free arm waving animatedly as she shouted down the phone, clearly in some heated argument with Jack over something or other. Danielle had grown accustomed to their tumultuous relations and gave it little thought, though the sight of Ronnie burning with such cold aggression still sent a chill of fear through her._

"_She's having a right go today isn't she." Roxy stated more than asked as she leaned up on her elbows, pushing her sunglasses down her nose to watch her sister's pacing. Danielle nodded, not wanting to listen to the harsh tone of Ronnie's voice. "What's it about this time?" Roxy asked._

"_Mmm, something about staff?" Danielle mumbled uncertainly, "or maybe uh, some function? I don't know really." Danielle felt awkward, as if she had no right to be involved in such personal matters in Ronnie's life, despite the fact that she knew Ronnie now trusted her with anything and everything. _

"_Yeah, it's never really about that stuff though is it?" Roxy raised one eyebrow giving Danielle a significant look. "They need to just jump each other again and get it over with."_

"_That's disgusting." Danielle grimaced. Roxy barked out laughter at Danielle's cringing response to the suggestion of Ronnie and Jack._

"_Oh yeah?" Roxy smirked, greatly enjoying making her niece squirm. "How d'you think you got here? Ron ain't exactly a blushing little virgin..."_

"_Alright Rox, that's already more than I need to know." Danielle cried, clapping her hands over her ears. She couldn't help laughing though as Roxy waggled her eyebrows suggestively._

"_Oh, speaking of embarrassing Ron, take a look at this." Roxy sat up, pushing her sunglasses up onto her forehead as she rummaged through her bag. Danielle stole another glance to Ronnie to see her scowling angrily, her jaw clenched as she vented her anger to the voice on the phone. "Here," Roxy said, throwing a camera across to Danielle. She caught it awkwardly, fumbling as she tried not to drop it. She held the camera screen down as she shot a suspicious look to Roxy._

"_This isn't going to scar me for life is it?" Danielle ask worriedly. The last thing she needed to see was some photograph of Ronnie mid tryst. _

"_Nah, just look." Roxy giggled as she shuffled her way over towards Danielle ending up sat beside her as Danielle warily lifted the camera and immediately burst out laughing. "Good isn't it!" Roxy exclaimed with a wide and devilish smile. The two women fell into fits of giggles as they flicked through picture after picture._

"_What are you two doing?" Ronnie squinted suspiciously as she stood looking down on her sister and niece who were falling about laughing together. As soon as they heard her voice, both women rushed and fumbled to hide the camera as they quelled their laughter into silence, both pairs of wide eyes looking a little too innocently up at Ronnie. "Ok, what are you two hiding?" Ronnie placed her hands on her hips as she tried to sound authoritative._

"_Nothing." Came the reply from Danielle and Roxy in unison before they broke down into another round of rapturous giggles. After several minutes, Ronnie caught site of the camera hidden behind Danielle's back, the screen displaying a less than flattering picture of herself clad only in a towel and singing into her hairbrush in what she thought had been the privacy of her own room. She made a mental note to herself to never let Roxy stay at the flat overnight again. As Ronnie gasped and began to good humoured admonishments and threats to her sister she tried to make grabs for the camera in Danielle's hand, the two women on the floor still in hysterics. Danielle at once leapt to her feet to avoid Ronnie's attempts._

"_Dan, chuck it here." Roxy yelled as she ran across the park, waving her arms open ready to catch the camera which Ronnie was busy trying to wrestle off Danielle. The camera flew across the park, missing Ronnie's head by inches as she stood so close to Danielle, and landed neatly in Roxy's hands._

"_You little traitor," Ronnie laughed, wrapping her arms around a laughing and struggling Danielle, almost jumping on her back as Danielle bent over, not able to stop laughing._

_The flash went off without either woman noticing. Arms wrapped neatly around Danielle as they both laughed loudly, their comfort and smiles shining out in the afternoon sun._

The film ended and Ronnie stretched, her hand stroking Danielle's hair where it lay in her lap, her little girl curled up and almost asleep, wrapped up in a blanket.

"Want to go to bed sweetie?" Ronnie asked as she ran her fingers along Danielle's temple. She felt her daughter shake her head as mewled a little protest at the suggestion. "It's been a long day, you're almost asleep already." Ronnie spoke softly, talking warmly as though to a child.

"'s only eleven." Danielle muttered thickly after grabbing Ronnie's wrist to check her watch. "Not doing much tomorrow. Just a class in the afternoon and a bit on the stall." Danielle sighed as her eyes closed comfortably.

"No way baby girl. We'll have to start packing. And I promised Roxy we'd go over and let her disgust us with her stories of her valentines." Danielle groaned at the prospect of having to get up early and hear Roxy bragging about her love life in explicit detail that only Roxy would share. She hid her face in Ronnie's lap, looking and acting like a toddler, being shielded in love by her mother. Her head snapped up suddenly, revealing sleepy eyes and a red cheek from where she had lay.

"I almost forgot," Danielle said vaguely and cryptically as she lifted herself from the sofa and shuffled tiredly across the room to rumage in one of the kitchen cupboards. Ronnie watched her confused, sometimes her daughter was a little mystery. Danielle padded back across the carpet, a giftbag in hand and sat down next to Ronnie.

"Happy valentines day mum." She smiled, handing over the bag and curling back into Ronnie's side, her head instantly finding Ronnie's shoulder. The bag was opened to reveal a small handmade card, sprinkled with glitter, a tiny chocolate cupcake and a grey teddy bearing the one word that meant so much to both women, engraved in their hearts. The one word "mum".


End file.
